Let me start by saying I really liked this. Amazing!! Yay! I will say that their mac and cheese is the absolute bomb and if I can make it for them at home maybe I will make it through a shopping trip in peace! It stays nice and creamy. I made this last night (testing it out for a dish to serve at my daughter graduation party), and halved the cheese sauce recipe after reading reviews saying it was too soupy. Smoked gouda would be delicious! My family and I are on a constant hunt for the ultimate homemade Mac and Cheese. I have been looking for years to duplicate the Safeway mac and cheese they used to sell at the hot lunch soups and stopped. Enjoy! If your recipe is curdling or stringy you need to pay attention to her recipe description where she clearly mentions cheese from a block works better. Its the most satisfying homemade mac and cheese your family will ever enjoy. Huge mistake I now have more Mac and cheese than even my family of seven will be able to consume all week. I used 3 T of flour for the halved amount. Cook the macaroni until al dente and stir in some butter. cleanup isnt hard either, you just have to let the pit soak!!!!!! You havent steered me wrong yet! I love this recipe. Im afraid Im a little stovetop-mac-and-cheese gun-shy right now. It thickened up nicely while remaining creamy. Not at all creamy. . Hi Lauren, I reheated mine in the microwave and it warmed up beautifully! We are going to have a Mac and cheese bar. It would have been soup had I added all the sauce. The sauce itself is way to thick and not at all like the photo portrays. Your comment made my day, Laura! It honestly turned out much better than Costco's since it was fresh-made and such a great copycat (joke's on them and I bet they're sorry, lol). I did use 2% milk instead of whole milk and less butter and flour (3 less tablespoons butter and 3 less tablespoons flour), but that was because I knew the calorie content of this recipe has to be very high. This looks amazing. The American cheese makes it creamy. do you know if it is supposed to be sliced American cheese like Kraft singles? (My husband works 12.5-hour shifts as an X-ray technologist in a rough area, and that's all he wanted. I find I have to do this after its been stored in the fridge,. If it helps, using pre-shredded cheese or overheating the sauce can result in graininess. For when you're craving an indulgent meal, this recipe checks off all the boxes. I receding halting the eBre recipie and adding a bit more milk to give it a thinner texture. IM SO MAD! I only made 1/2 since I am the only one who really likes it. Does it freeze well? You will find that its really a challenge to beat this macaroni and cheese that is finished off with a satisfying crunchy breadcrumb topping. For sure you could make it through the step where you pour it into a 9x13-inch pan and instead pour it into the slow cooker and let it heat that way. I will be trying this again! I think Im going to chance it with yours, though. My husband would go NUTS if he sees this He's a huge (melted) cheese fan. Id much rather have creamy, smooth ambrosia, which this delivers in spades. This is the creamiest, cheesiest stovetop macaroni and cheese you'll ever eat! Used the exact amount and flour, and cooked on a low heat like it said and I could not get rid of the graininess. You may need to add a splash or more of milk to thin out the sauce if it has thickened up. How to Make TikTok's Creamier, Cheesier Boxed Mac and Cheese. Made this tida, great taste a little to soup though. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. I am so doomed . Dumb question alert, but how would it be best to reheat this once Ive made it? Ive tried countless recipes for this classic over the decades, and found some that were really good, but not the stuff dreams are made of. it relies on cheese for flavor and thick , perfect creaminess. TOO LOOSE! Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter. YUM!!! I also added a touch of cayenne and cumin, and that helped my mistake. Baked until cheese was melted and OMG! There are other brands as well, such as Land o Lakes, Boars Head, etc. Transfer the macaroni & cheese to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted and bubbly. Thanks for sharing! Whisk to combine. But timed the cooking of the flour/ butter exactly and did not have any curdling or grainy-ness which Ive had trouble mastering in the past! Not at all grainy and the flavor is great. Inspired by: Popeyes' Macaroni & Cheese. AMAZING!!! I bought ends at the deli , and it was perfect. Hi Jamie, The yield is at the top of the recipe box, if youre looking in the future serves 8 to 10. Love that you made this already and that you enjoyed it so much! . Mine was a bit gritty (likely from trying to thicken the excess of milk) but the flavor was nice. mix Alfredo cheddar cheese and pre cooked cavatappi, top with more cheddar. http://www.landolakes.com/Products/Cheese/Fresh-Sliced-Deli-Cheese/Deli-American-Cheese-Product, Looks so good. Make the cheese sauce by combining a fat (butter), and starch (flour), then whisking in the milk products. It was hard to find a recipe that resulted in my preferred pasta to cheese ratio, but this was it. And take your time!! It is cant-stop-eating good! Also, congrats on you pregnancy! Pour into a greased casserole dish and top the Mac-n-cheese with bacon and crushed Ritz crackers. Help! Its still not exactly like my father-in-laws recipe, but I have absolutely found my go-to stovetop macaroni and cheese recipe! Made it for Father's Day and it was the first dish to go. I just made it and the entire family loved it. Awful recipe. Go to Recipe. Anytime youre making a cheese sauce, definitely shred your own from a block to achieve the creamiest, smoothest consistency. Im Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. 1 cups shredded mild cheddar 4 ounces American cheese (such as Velveeta) cubed 2 ounces Neufchatel or you can substitute cream cheese Instructions In a large pot, bring water with a pinch of salt to a boil. I thought they were going to faint it was so good! The flavor is just amazing and it's so creamy and comforting and gooooooooood. Also, I did notice a grainy texture. . 13 / 15. Should I sift the flower first? Boil pasta in salted water until al dente according to package instructions. Sharp cheddar always seems to be a touch grainy. Im now pregnant with #2 (surprise!) It was delicious!!! The eggs also make the dish a little firmer than a straight cheese sauce macaroni and cheese. Meaning, she liked it! . Ive since stopped since the soup formula changed many years ago and it just stopped tasting right to me (or at least how I remembered). He thanks you for this recipe!! Cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly. Its not that its bad. Could you use 2% milk instead of whole milk? 5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided Instructions Images: On Off Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Its basically a processed cheese product that melts very easily and creamily. Join me for a special 4-day email series full of special tips and techniques (along with recipes!) Then you stir in half of the cheese and some seasonings like paprika and garlic powder before combining the sauce with the cooked and drained pasta. 15 Copycat Mac and Cheese Recipes - Taste Of Home 5 cups of milk is a little too much, start with 4and adjust up. While your pasta is cooking to a barely, barely (and possibly even slightly underdone al dente), prepare yourbchamel sauce, which is just a roux of butter and flour cooked together with milk whisked in until a nice, moderately thick white sauce has formed. It's our favorite too and I'm glad to know it's officially tween approved! I just cant seem to nail it, but was determined to find some type of creamy stovetop mac and cheese that I could make when my husband got hungry for it, as he doesnt share my infatuation withbaked macaroni and cheese. You totally CAN use pre shredded cheese, but it might make a slightly less creamy macaroni and cheese because it doesn't melt as well. What is American cheese? This is truly the ultimate in macaroni and cheese, and the addition of eggs turns the dish into a southern baked mac and cheese with evaporated milk. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see. I should add that I modified the recipe to use sharp cheddar and gouda! I did not have yellow American, only white, in the frig. I substituted out the whole milk for unsweetened almond milk because I cant drink whole milk. This recipe saved my evening after Costco decided to close at six on a Saturday night--Saturday, boo! My go-to macaroni and cheese is my favorite baked version I love the buttery crumb topping and crusted bits of macaroni and cheese around the edges! then in the oven it went.I made your version today because my youngest daughters friends mom makes hers creamy so I found this recipe and it is the BEST so glad I found it..thank you ps making it again this Tuesday for supper..Delish. Similar to Kraft singles?!? I used mild cheddar as I thought the kids would not like the strong flavor of the sharp. Learn how to make bread crumbs. Ill be trying this again and will amend this comment as needed. (and how simple it is to make!) Or did this recipe feed more than 6-8 people as is? Is there some way to incorporate Creme de Menthe in this recipe? I dont think this recipe is too much of a custard style, it is a little firmer than a straight cheese sauce macaroni and cheese though. I love Mac n cheese but Im picky & our large family is Pickier. That's why we've rounded up our 15 best mac and cheese recipes, all of which have 4 stars or more from our trusted reviewers. Cook 1-2 minutes. Not sure what I could have done wrong! I halved this recipe and still ended up with 2 cups of extra sauce, ha! This is truly the creamiest Mac and Cheese ever the entire family loves it. Its creamy but not smooth at all. Savory bacon, comforting pasta, gooey cheese, and sweet caramelized onions all bake together to create one decadent dish. I substituted the cheeses, used brick cheese.delicious. If you're serving heat sensitive guests, keep the hot sauce out of the recipe and have a bottle on the side while serving. The layering of the grated cheese over the cheese sauce is what makes this copycat Costco mac and cheese extra super gooey and cheesy and wonderful - just how I like it. no flavor at all. Im boiling extra Mac right now for Easter brunch. Yes, you could make this in advance, but I would cool the pasta and sauce before combining them together so that the pasta macaroni doesn't soak up too much of the sauce. Just last week, I tried a so-called best stovetop macaroni and cheese from thekitchn.com. However, our dinner is quite large and wasnt sure how much a TON might equate to in servings. Absolutely perfect every time! Thanks! Subscribe to get copycat recipes in your inbox!